SageSparks

On my way home from work yesterday, I unlocked my bike from the rack, walked it across a sidewalk, then stepped over and got ready to ride down the curb cut and into the bike lane. I was vaguely aware that there was a pedestrian standing annoyingly close to my back tire as I watched traffic go by and looked for a clearing between cars. I was thinking that the person should just walk around to my other side so as not to risk getting toes run over or whatever, standing that close. I turned around and said, "pardon me," to -- a person *running away with my purse*. Attempts to follow were thwarted by masses of people.

I had been wearing it over my shoulder. The person must have cut the strap.

Goodbye iPhone, wallet, keys and dignity.

raster

Did you get a look at him? While it hardly ever happens, if the guy is wanted for a larger crime, the police may be able to find him. I mean, my girlfriend got her bag stolen in Canada and it was returned to her. Anything's possible.

DVC45

Darn! That was just too brazin. I'm sorry for what happened. I hope your things find their way back to you, like what Raster said anything is possible.
Which part of Chicago did it happen (not that it matters, its Chicago after all)?
I used to live near Gurnee and hanged out in Chicago a lot during my younger days.

ilmooz

Definitely report it to the police. This offender didn't do this on the spur of the moment. He was prepared ahead of time and likely has done it before and/or will do it again, probably right in the same area. If there's a pattern your information combined with other victim's information will help catch this scum more quickly.

SageSparks

This guy (I am assuming gender here) was *good*. You're right, ilmooz -- definitely a professional. By the time my head was turned around enough to catch the retreating figure, I couldn't catch any identifying details at all. I was flummoxed enough by the fact that I was robbed by a pedestrian, but even more so by how quickly the person was able to disappear. I did submit a report to the police just in case it's some kind of pattern, but I don't expect anything to come of it. The whole scenario played out in less than five seconds. I rode around the area for the next two hours hoping I'd spot my purse ditched in an alley or a dumpster (knowing the "good stuff" would be gone, but hoping to find my house and bike keys) to no avail. At least I logged extra miles on my ride ...

This happened at right by that McDonald's at Chicago and State. It's heaven for pickpockets, I'm sure.

CB HI

If the police were really interested, they could activate the GPS feature on the phone and track it down.

If done at 4 am, likely find out where the guys lives or at least the person he sold it to.

pj7

No they can't.

BarracksSi

No actual GPS on the iPhone, but I'll bet it has its own IP address and can be tracked as soon as it's used on a Wi-Fi network. Maybe AT&T could triangulate its location somewhat, too.

zonatandem

Single edge razor blade slices through strap like butter!

pj7

The best bet on a way to track an iPhone is if the thief uses the iTunes network and it logs the IP. If the owner of the iPhone contacts iTunes they can have a note on their account set to REDFLAG as soon as that account is accessed and log the IP address.

And as you said, there is no GPS feature on the iPhone. The one to be released in the spring (if they don't push it back) is supposed to have a decent GPS in it, but wether or not that GPS will have the ability to aid in theft recovery has yet to be seen.
It makes sense for the companies (Apple/ATT) to not add the theft recovery feature due to the cost of them becoming police and the loss of sales due to victimized owners purchasing new iPhones. It's all about the money.

BarracksSi

Slick.

pj7

A further note.
Assuming she registered her iPhone with iTunes, its serial number was registered to her as the owner. All she really has to do is contact Apple and report it stolen. They will do all the work from there. And if Apple releases any software updates for the phones in the future that give some sort of feedback that feedback can also be used to help track the phone down (possibly) assuming the "new owner" updates the software on the phone.
So one call to Apple is about the best recourse she has now.

pj7

And I don't even own a cell phone.

CB HI

Fine if the i-phone does not have GPS as most new phones do; but you must be living in a cave if you do not know that cops and other agencies have tracked down the locations of missing persons and criminals using cell tower triangulation. True they have to get the information from the cell provider, but many are now cooperating with the police in emergency situations as a minimum. Singular helped fire rescue locate a lost hicker here in Hawaii with cell tower triangulation, and Singular was extremely proud of their capabilities and bragged about how they were about to significantly improve them.

My cell bill even list the tower each call was connected through. Giving a fairly small circle for my location with each call.
Such information has even been used in the courts.

pj7

It's not an "if", but rather a "that". Fine that the iPhone does not have a GPS...

Why would you assume that just because a person lives in a cave that they would not know that?

CB HI

https://digg.com/apple/iPhone_GPS_Hac...d_and_it_Works

Even i-phones can be hacked to self track by triangulation.

BarracksSi

<-- doesn't support nor condone system hacks

pj7

Incorrect (again).
That's a third party application hack to work with the iPhone.
Kinda like saying "DMC has a time machine" just because Doc Brown happened to put a flux capacitor in his Delorean. apple does not even support that GPS, and the last I read it still couldn't provide the features required to aid in theft retrieval (though that could have changed by now, but I doubt it).

Carl26

I'm sorry about what happened to you SageSparks. Do you think this crime could have been prevented had you been wearing a backpack? I don't know all of the details but it sounds to me like you were an easy target.

mwrobe1

But...that information cannot be used by law enforcement (at least in Cook county Illinois) unless a judge approves it via court order.

maddyfish

My wife was mugged in Chicago in Oct. 2001, the police showed no interest. So don't get your hopes up.

SageSparks

I'm sure the police do not care in the least. They perked up a bit, though, when we told them that if we call the phone, someone picks up and tries to get me to meet her on a street corner and give her money in exchange for its return. I keep telling the person to meet me at different corners (all in front of police stations) and she is not too pleased about my preferences. (While the phone is worth far more than she's asking for it, if she's affiliated with the same person who stole my purse, then I have no interest in giving her any more money. I told her that she already has received the reward for finding my phone: my wallet.)

In any case, you are right, Carl26, that I maybe was an easy target. I was utterly distracted by cars and oriented in such a way on a busy curb cut that it was very clumsy for me to turn around or back up or anything. It seemed, honestly, like a type of purse snatching that could only work on cyclists (which is why I posted about it here). With a backpack, the person would have had to cut two straps -- seems less likely. I actually had made a conscious decision to ride carrying my purse rather than to strap the purse down to my back rack with bungie cords because, for some reason, the latter felt like begging to be mugged. But actually, now I'm thinking that if my purse had been bungied down, I'd still have it.

wahoonc

SageSparks,
Sorry to hear about your loss. I know things like that cause major stress. My wife flies international quite often. We purchased her a purse that has a fine stainless steel cable embedded in the strap, it cannot be cut nor snatched easily. IIRC hers came from Magellan's Here is another one that has a mesh surround on it. Not much help for the stuff that is already gone, but might help in the future.

Aaron

divergence

Sorry to hear you were robbed, and I'm glad you weren't hurt.

I'm sure you already thought of this, but don't forget that your house keys are now in the hands of someone who knows where you live (if there was anything in the wallet with your address on it.) Might want to change the locks right away if you haven't already done so.

Good luck, and I hope the guy is unwise enough to log the iPhone onto a network so that you can track him down!

duppie

I know this won't help a bit in your case, but the police in Amsterdam had a very interesting approach to stolen phones for a while. When a phone is reported stolen, every 5 minutes 24/7 they will send and sms to the phone telling it that it is stolen. Since SMSs do typically cost money, they can charge the new owner (who must have inserted his own SIM card). Of course this solution works only in cooperation with the carrier. Seems like the return-rate of phones has increased noticeably
Duppie